English conference proceeding

Theunissen,
N.C.M., Veen, S., Martens, S., Haan, M.d., Fekkes, M., Verrips, G.H., Verloove-Vanhorick,
S.P., Koopman, H.M., & Wit, J.M. (1997). Quality of life at 1-4 years
of age in relation to a medical history of premature birth or other neonatal
problems. 4th Annual Conference of the International Society for Quality
of Life Research (ISOQOL), Vienna, Austria, 4-9 November, Quality of Life
Research, 6(7/8), 730. Awarded with a Young Investigator's Poster Award.

Abstract

Aim
was to evaluate the health related quality of life (HrQOL) at infancy
of premature or term infants who needed neonatal intensive-care treatment.
Parents of 193 children aged 1-4 consulting the out-patient neonatology
clinic of the Leiden University Medical Center were invited to complete
the TAIQOL. This instrument defined HrQOL as Health Status (HS) plus affective
evaluation of problems in 11 HS domains. Response to the TAIQOL was 85%.
In addition, the parents were asked for permission to study their childrens
medical case history. If permission was granted, the case history was
evaluated by means of a specially developed Medical History checklist
(MH). One hundred forty-nine MHs were completed. The sample consisted
of 51 children born very premature (< 31 completed weeks of gestation)
47 children born premature (between 31 and 36.9 weeks) and 51 infants
with other neonatal problems (>36.9 weeks).
Confounding variables that were found to be associated with HrQOL (p<0.05)
according to ONE-WAY analyses, were entered into a Stepwise Multiple Regression
to assess their relative contributions to HrQOL scales. Analyses revealed,
amongst others, that only the HrQOL appetite and aggression scales are
directly related to gestational age (p<0.05, higher gestational age
= better HrQOL). No relation was found between birth weight and HrQOL.
Hyperbilirubinemie, sepsis, multiple birth, PDA (diagnoses) and CPAP,
IPPV(treatments) each related to some HrQOL scales (p<0.05). Having
a chronic disease related to HrQOL physical, stomach, lungs, and communication
scales, when reported by the parents (OCHR), but when reported by the
medical case history (MCHR) it did not relate to HrQOL. Correlation of
OCHR with MCHR was r=0.79 (p=0.000).
In conclusion, there appeared to be a relation between perinatal factors
according to case histories and HrQOL at infancy according to the parents.
Longitudinal research will reveal the stability of these effects on HrQOL.